Crimson-fronted Barbet
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| Megalaima rubricapilla Gmelin, 1788 |
Crimson-fronted Barbet (Megalaima rubricapilla), or Small Barbet, is a barbet which is a resident breeder in south west India and Sri Lanka. Barbets are near passerine birds with a world-wide tropical distribution. They get their name from the bristles which fringe their heavy bills.
The Crimson-fronted Barbet is an arboreal species of open woodland which eats fruit and insects. It nests in a tree hole, laying 2-4 eggs.
This is a small barbet at 15 cm. It is a plump bird with a short neck, large head and short tail. The adult Crimson-fronted Barbet has a mainly green body and wing plumage, a blue band down the side of the head and neck, and a black crescent behind the eye.
The adult Indian M. r. malabarica has a crimson face, throat and breast. M. r. rubricapilla of Sri Lanka has an orange face, throat and breast, with crimson only on the forehead. Sexes are similar, but immature birds are duller with only traces of the striking head pattern. The Indian form is split by some as a separate species, the Malabar Barbet or Crimson-throated Barbet M. malabarica.
[edit] Reference
- Birds of India by Grimmett, Inskipp and Inskipp, ISBN 0-691-04910-6
